A Systems Approach To Problem-solving

Point + Periphery

Among the many superpowers UX designers exhibit is the ability to pool in and examine information as it becomes available. As I tell my students, UX designers are like modern day detectives. We are persistently looking for new data to further validate and guide our work. How we go about problem-solving is an integral foundation new designers must embody — a mindset that allows us to think critically, widen our perspective and always begin with, why?

Systems Design

Systems modeling is a powerful method for better understanding the relationships between scales — the thinking comes when we consider the interplay between micro and macro scales — from the molecule to the region — the pixel to the platform.

Point + periphery is a systems model that is a simplified way of better understanding how to focus on the root problem we are solving for (point) and to source new, emergent insights (periphery). This is a continual exchange from one into the other — diverging to capture new information, and converging to capture the gems of our research. It can metaphorically be seen as mimicking breath (inhalation/exhalation) continuous and every exchanging between cycles.